Khrushchev ceilings: how to eliminate the disadvantages of the standard height?

Housing issues in our state rank first in terms of their relevance. Apartments in five-story buildings are no longer viewed as something terrible and unprepossessing, rather, they are affordable housing on the secondary market. Redevelopment, modern renovation and unique design can give newness and charisma to such a home.

The 5-storey Khrushchev buildings are stereotyped small-sized five-storey brick and panel houses with low ceilings. Such buildings did not have architectural significance in Soviet times: they were built with only one purpose - to eliminate the shortage of housing. There are many complaints about Soviet buildings, but you need to understand and take into account that with the help of maximum cheapness and fast construction, many families were able to get their own squares of housing.

The cramped Khrushchev starts already at the entrance: the platforms are narrower than the norms require, the problematic movement of large-sized furniture and other goods.

Among a number of problems that the owner of such housing faces is imperfection of ceiling coverings, irregularities, bulges, seams between plates and, of course, a small standard height, which averages from 2.48 to 2.6 m.Therefore, the issue of visual enlargement space is especially acute. And with unprofessional installation, housing becomes uncomfortable for living.

Making repairs in such houses is a daunting problem. Due to the small area and low ceilings, luxurious chandeliers are not suitable here, ultra-modern technologies in the form of tension surfaces with exquisite volumetric decor will also not always be appropriate. In such an apartment, it is rather difficult to repair the ceilings, and in order for it to be successful, you need to take into account all the features of typical buildings.

Before proceeding with the repair of the ceiling, you need to find out the purpose of such work: you just need to refresh the surface or radically alter it so that it becomes part of the interior of the apartment.

Modern ceiling designs are:

• suspended plasterboard;
• stretch ceiling.

Due to its resistance to mechanical damage and ease of design changes, it is very popular. The ceilings can be multi-level or perfectly flat, painting in various colors is possible. For installation, it is necessary to apply a mark, fix the frame and carry out the work on laying the gypsum plasterboards, removing the joints. It is also worth paying attention to rough work on surface preparation and leveling.

Then you can start working with lighting: the ceiling must be lowered if an integrated lighting system is planned, or special holes must be made, for example, for a luminaire. Plasterboard suspended ceilings allow the creation of multi-tiered systems with various curved shapes and unique design. The main thing is not to overdo it with voluminous textures, otherwise the top will "press" on the head of its owners, and all the refinement will not matter.

It is quite possible to install suspended structures with your own hands:

1. This is a significant cost savings, since most of the cost of installing the suspension structure is occupied by the installation worker.
2. This allows you to embody exactly the design concept you desire without limiting your imagination.

For these works, plaster is ideal, thanks to which you can give the desired shape to the ceiling, make an unusual texture. Leveling can be done in two main ways: spreading and scattering.

The plaster is applied in two layers, while the first is not corrected, the second is performed after a while, and then there is a final layer, which is leveling, it is produced using a special tool - a half-scrubber.

Stretch ceilings form a flawlessly flat surface without additional work. They are made of polymer fabric or PVC foil and are resistant to deformation. In addition, they are very undemanding to care for.

In Soviet houses, there is often a need to renovate an electrical cable. Also, in an old residential sector with dilapidated technologies, there is a high probability of leaking water and heating pipes.

The canvas creates a special protection against flooding from above. Installation of a ceiling structure allows you to provide additional sound insulation, which is important for a typical type of buildings, and ultra-modern canvases do not accumulate dust and are not difficult to clean. The shape can be both flat and original: conical, wave, multilevel. There are so many options that the choice depends only on the interior design and your taste preferences.

It is not possible to install stretch ceilings with your own hands, for this you will have to hire specialists. This type of ceiling requires special equipment, experience and skill in installation. The installation process itself, unfortunately, is fraught with a lot of debris and dust, so you have to be patient and prepare for wet cleaning.

Making a plasterboard ceiling will take about 2 to 4 days, possibly longer, depending on the complexity of the structure. The stretch ceiling is mounted very quickly, literally in 3-4 hours.

Today, modern materials for the design of any kind of premises are so diverse that they make it possible to implement any creative solutions. Rounded ceilings are gaining popularity, they will be especially interesting for owners of typical Soviet houses, as they visually expand the space, creating an interesting design.

Noise distribution problems can be a real disaster. Any, even the most insignificant sound can turn into a roar, and voices - into an echo.

Usually Khrushchevs do not have a high ability to soundproof, and to eliminate unnecessary extraneous noise, you can consider installing acoustic stretch ceilings. With the use of specialized materials, it is possible to achieve perfect silence and comfort. This type of structure is made of a special microporous fabric or polyester fabric impregnated with polyurethane. The surface is rough, without a single glossy shine.

It's no secret that dark tones can increase the height of any room. Therefore, it is better to choose a color scheme in a cool and light palette. For example, the use of plain wallpaper will solve this problem for owners of low ceilings and small areas.The top of the walls can be dark, and the bottom can be light, it is advisable to glue the wallpaper closely, and it is better to remove the baseboards altogether.

The use of vertical lines is also a popular solution for increasing the space, which generally makes the room taller.

The use of mirror surfaces will add volume to the room and enlarge the room as a whole.

The use of long curtains and furniture in the style of minimalism, classic or modern in the interior will also solve the problem of expanding the space. As they say, nothing more.

With the help of white ceilings, you can visually make the space of the room wider. White paint would be ideal in this case.

And for connoisseurs of experiments and original ideas, the use of blue in the ceiling surfaces will love. Ideally, the heavenly palette is associated with the firmament and is able to "raise" the ceiling. Using other shades, this result cannot be achieved.

There is a general rule of thumb for low ceilings. Whatever palette and color you choose, the walls should never be made lighter. If the ceiling is much darker than the walls, then visually it will "remove" the height. Ideal if - walls and ceilings in one palette.

If a plasterboard version of the ceiling is being designed, then the LED backlighting in the center will help bring an interesting design to the interior of the room without stealing the volumes.

For more information on how you can visually increase the ceiling, see the next video.